Missing neck feathers

[lauren212]

For the past 2 months three of my 5 chickens are missing just the front neck feathers. I checked them for lice and mites and don't see anything. They are only about a year old. Any ideas? I made the pvc pipe food pail for them last year...could they're necks be rubbing on that and causing frictions. But it was fine last year . Some of the feathers look broken around the neck as well. I don't see anyone feathers picking. Have no idea. They aren't growing back either.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some chickens go through a neck molt in the spring. If this is the case your birds will start to grow in New feathers soon.

I have a hen who others pluck her neck feathers out, no clue why, but she's a meek bird.

They could be rubbing them off. At a year old their feathers are getting old, so potentially more brittle. They should grow back in the fall during the molt.

 

[lauren212]

It's just under their beaks about an inch down. They won't grow back until the fall then? I had one in Feburary during a mild spell loose tons of feathers in the neck and they grew back in a few weeks. Looked like a chicken exploded in the coop. I've been waiting for these ones to grow and nothing is happening

 

[Hybridchucks]

Do you have a roo, he could be over mating them! xx

 

[Hybridchucks]

It doesn't sound like you have a roo

 

[lauren212]

No rooster Just 5 hens

 

[Hybridchucks]

Ok xx

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's just under their beaks about an inch down. They won't grow back until the fall then? I had one in Feburary during a mild spell loose tons of feathers in the neck and they grew back in a few weeks. Looked like a chicken exploded in the coop. I've been waiting for these ones to grow and nothing is happening

They are probably nothing to worry about as long as you see no active pecking at them. Come Fall all mature chickens will be exploding.